Best setup for $1000. Cast your votes.

Well, it's time for me to upgrade my amp/cabinet. After being quite impressed with the AI Contra, I was sure that was the best choice. After reading numerous threads, I'm not so sure.

Here are the requirements. I want to reproduce the acoustic sound of my bass as faithfully as possible (don't we all?). I play in jazz combos in small- and medium-size venues and sometimes outdoors. I want to be able to match watts (if not wits) with the guitar player.

You're preachin' to the choir! After years of classical training, I have started studying again with a fine jazz teacher. I have the bass, the lessons, and now I want to upgrade the amp/speaker cabinet.

My vote is, wait for AI Clarus Series III. Grab one of those. Then order a 1x8 cab from Don at Low Down Sound. That should run you about the same as a Contra, maybe a little more? Should still fall around $1000 and you won't be disappointed.

You'll have to send him an email for a price quote on the Wizzy. In your price range, I figure you could look at the 200 watt Wizzy Combo. It might be a tad over $1k but Bob usually ships for free to the lower 48.

O.K. then after lessons (yeah baby!) I'd recommend a dolly as the very next purchase for your new setup.

You'll want one desperately to haul your amp **** around trust me, and if it doesn't fit on the dolly you damn sure don't want to have to drag it with you after you've already dragged in your bass and dolly-filled stuff.

I think that the Claris III and LDS combination would be great for trio gigs.
It's the choice if you want the "light as you can possibly get it rig"
If you intend to play louder venues the Whizzy or a LDS 2x8 may be more suited to your needs, because you could add a powered extension cabinet or just buy bigger cabinet in the first place if you're going for the "one size fits all rig". I have Euphonic Arts VL 108 (similar to the LDS 1x8). It kinda gets lost with anything above a trio and I'm driving it with a 400 watt Walter Woods. IMHO

I think that the Claris III and LDS combination would be great for trio gigs.
It's the choice if you want the "light as you can possibly get it rig"
If you intend to play louder venues the Whizzy or a LDS 2x8 may be more suited to your needs, because you could add a powered extension cabinet or just buy bigger cabinet in the first place if you're going for the "one size fits all rig". I have Euphonic Arts VL 108 (similar to the LDS 1x8). It kinda gets lost with anything above a trio and I'm driving it with a 400 watt Walter Woods. IMHO

Ric

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Thanks.
Okay, so givn my budget, what do you think of the Wizzy combo?

Thanks.
Okay, so givn my budget, what do you think of the Wizzy combo?

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DURB,
I really like the Wizzy, and you have the option of (weight 44 lbs)
adding power with the Wizzy powered extension speaker at a later time. There is one other new option that I forgot to mention. Ampeg is about to release a new combo verison in the Portabass line that has a 2X8 configuration and the Portabass head togeather in one cabinet. No one has played one yet. It's tone shaping abilities aren't as ssophisticated as the Whizzy or the Clarius but the price is very attractive provided it sounds good. Haven't seen one yet. It's Supposed to weigh in at 35 lbs for the entire unit. That said, I'm really impressed with the preamp in the Whizzy.

What about the GK microbass? It's a good deal below your budget (about 750ish) and pumps 150 watts (200 with an extension cab) out of a 25 pound box! Portable, loud and not overly expensive. I don't have one so I don't know of any down sides to it. Anyone else have one?

Yup. The GK Micro combo amp is very portable (I think it's about 20 or 25 pounds), and for something small it's capable of getting pretty loud. For small and medium volumes it's fine. For a very loud band I play in (20-piece big band, lots of horns and bashing drums) it's barely adequate. I use the Fishman Platinum Preamp, which helps wring a little more volume than I could get otherwise.

I owned both the series GK Series II Micro Bass and an MBE.
They are incredibly Light Weight an very reasonably in priced.
They are kind of the "sensible black shoes" amplifier for EB and work fairly well for DB, but the way they voice their midrange controls makes the Double Bass sound "nasal." IMHO
I used either a Underwood or the Fishman BP 100 and a Fishman Pre A II as the buffer preamplifier. No mater how I set the tone controls, I couldn't dial out that sound. So my experience with that amp was that it's
preamp wasn't a good match with the upright. It would be very nice for someone to do a head to head comparison of the GK MB series to the Whizzy and AI Clarus or Focus.

+ 1, another vote for the G-K 150MBS and I add the hard to find MBX12 extension cabinet with mine for alot of gigs from church, coffee houses and lite folk & rock gigs. It sounds especially good with my LAKLAND USA Hollowbody. AND ITS ONLY 36 LBS TOTAL. I also have added a JBL 15" Cab under the 150MBS, when the venue is larger.

PS my G-K 150MBS weighs in at 24LBS and MBX is 12LBS
Also it is 100watts with the internal speaker and 150watts with an other 8ohm speaker under it

listen to these people.
buy my used but not abused great condition gk mb150s for 550 (listed in tb classifieds), and the money goes to Compass or Food World which will match it to Red Cross: $1100 towards hurricane aid and you got yourself a light yet killer combo.
(that'll buy alot of MREs, or water, or one or two sets of clothes at the swankiest mall in Houston, i heard on NPR today that's how some folks are spending their vouchers... )
would consider letting you talk me out of the ext cab and bag for more $ but personally i'd recommend a larger ext cab "just in case,"
i have an ampeg 410 hen that goes nicely with it...
and you're gonna want a preamp... have we hit $1000 yet?

First of all, thanks to all of you for the great information. After hours and hours of consideration, I have narrowed the field to two choices. These are based on my particular tastes coupled with this group's fine descriptions. My goal is to produce, to the extent possible, the acoustic sound of my bass, but bigger! This goal is tempered by the practical requirement that I must be able to cut through the mix of guitar and sax. I tend not to like excessive fingerboard and string noise. All things considered, here are the contenders:

1) AI Series III Clarus head, Acme B-1.

2) Wizzy iAMP 200 Combo

So, it's a runoff. I would be grateful if you'd weigh in on which of these two you believe would better fit the bill.